Syria offers to work with any state, including U.S. to fight IS
Updated: 2014-08-26 10:02:13 KST

Syria's Foreign Minister says his country welcomes any international help, including from the U.S, in fighting Islamic State militants.
He was making the remarks a matter of hours after IS took control of a major air-base in northcentral Syria.

(Arabic)
"We are ready to cooperate and coordinate with regional countries and the international community in fighting terrorism following the resolutions of the Security Council. We welcome everybody."

The offer did not come without restrictions, as the minister warned that any U.S. airstrikes must be coordinated with Damascus, and anything else would be considered as an aggression.
Washington has not yet made clear whether it will expand its aerial campaign from IS bases in Iraq to those in Syria.
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Martin Dempsey seemed to tone down statements he made last week about the threat posed by IS.
He told reporters on Monday that he would not recommend airstrikes in Syria until there was evidence IS posed a direct threat.

Also on Monday, the UN condemned crimes committed by IS militants in Iraq.
It said there was substantial evidence of widespread rights violations such as targeted killings, abductions, sexual abuse, slavery, and the besieging of specific communities.

"Such cold- blooded, systematic and intentional killing of civilians after singling them out for their religious affiliation may amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity."

The United Nations estimates more than 191-thousand people have been killed in the current crisis.
Kwon Soa, Arirang News.

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And we're learning that U.S. President Barack Obama has approved reconnaissance flights over Syria a precursor to potential airstrikes. We'll bring you details in our next newscast.